Where is this located? When was it taken?

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June-30-10, 02:59 PM
VIktor77

Where is this located? When was it taken?

I recently came across this incredible photograph of Detroit [[see below), and I'm curious what the streets are, when it might have been taken, and if any of the buildings are still standing.

What I know is that this is located somewhere around Central United Methodist Church off Woodward and it must be at either John R or Grand River. As far as the era I haven't a clue but from what I've read, given that the trolley [[or is it cable car?) system is intact, maybe it is from the 20s? It looks older.

http://www.metacars.com/wp-content/u...OldDetroit.jpg

Thanks for any help you can provide!
June-30-10, 03:03 PM
Detroitnerd

Campus Martius looking at where Compuware is now. Judging by the cars and clothes, I'd say early 1920s. And those are electrified streetcars.
June-30-10, 03:05 PM
JJD

YOu can tell from the hudsons building and the relocated statue that is roughly where campus martius is now. The trolleys were running along woodward.
June-30-10, 03:10 PM
ghettopalmetto

Look at all the people in that photo! How silly! Don't they know that nobody wants to walk anywhere? Don't they know that Detroit is a cesspool, and that everyone wants to live in the suburbs and shop at Somerset? Don't they know this is the Motor City--who would ever ride one of those slow and useless streetcars? What a boondoggle! And look at all the cars parked on the curb--shouldn't the city demolish a couple of those obsolete buildings to create some parking lots?

Ridiculous!
June-30-10, 03:16 PM
Retroit

I would guess sometime between 1917 and 1919 based on the tent in front of the Opera House and the men walking around in military uniforms.
June-30-10, 03:18 PM
Detroitnerd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroit

I would guess sometime between 1917 and 1919 based on the tent in front of the Opera House and the men walking around in military uniforms.

I thought of that too, but I figured it's often not uncommon to see men in uniform a few years after a war either. In lots of U.S. city shots, you'll still see a horsecart or two in 1920.
June-30-10, 03:20 PM
Retroit

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Look at all the people in that photo! How silly! Don't they know that nobody wants to walk anywhere? Don't they know that Detroit is a cesspool, and that everyone wants to live in the suburbs and shop at Somerset? Don't they know this is the Motor City--who would ever ride one of those slow and useless streetcars? What a boondoggle! And look at all the cars parked on the curb--shouldn't the city demolish a couple of those obsolete buildings to create some parking lots?

Ridiculous!

...and don't forget: "No one looks like me."
June-30-10, 03:23 PM
jcole

It's Woodward at Fort in 1917. Here's the link to Shorpy.com
http://www.shorpy.com/node/7136?size=_original
June-30-10, 03:27 PM
Detroitnerd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

In lots of U.S. city shots, you'll still see a horsecart or two in 1920.

Except in Detroit, I guess!
June-30-10, 03:34 PM
Savoyard

This was posted previously in the forum. It's now the background on my PC. You've got to download the original then zoom in on it. It's probably from a glass slide, because the details are awesome! You can see soldiers walking across Woodward in the lower right, and a tent in front of the Opera house. Gets a lot of comments ...
June-30-10, 03:41 PM
VIktor77

Thank you all for your comments and the link! It's my wallpaper too! It's definitely one of the most amazing Detroit shots I've ever seen. There's so much to look at. I love how it captures life as it was. It's tragic this entire site is nothing but glass towers today. Besides the two fountains and the church is anything else in this photo still standing?
June-30-10, 03:45 PM
Detroit Stylin

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

look at all the people in that photo! How silly! Don't they know that nobody wants to walk anywhere? Don't they know that detroit is a cesspool, and that everyone wants to live in the suburbs and shop at somerset? Don't they know this is the motor city--who would ever ride one of those slow and useless streetcars? What a boondoggle! And look at all the cars parked on the curb--shouldn't the city demolish a couple of those obsolete buildings to create some parking lots?

Ridiculous!

lmbao.....
June-30-10, 04:04 PM
Savoyard

Well, the Soldiers and Sailors monument [[the multi-layered set of statues just to the right of the center of the photo) is still there. As part of the Campus Martius re-development in 2003, it was moved about 125 feet to the south and put on a new base [[with fountain) that raised it up about 6 feet higher than the original. That may be all that's still there.
June-30-10, 04:52 PM
EastsideAl

Quote:

Originally Posted by VIktor77

Thank you all for your comments and the link! It's my wallpaper too! It's definitely one of the most amazing Detroit shots I've ever seen. There's so much to look at. I love how it captures life as it was. It's tragic this entire site is nothing but glass towers today. Besides the two fountains and the church is anything else in this photo still standing?

The Merrill Fountain [[the big white one in front of the Opera House) was moved to Palmer Park not too long after this photo in 1926. It still stands there today, although dry and in some disrepair. There was a big thread here last year about a grass-roots effort on the part of some posters to clean the old fountain and surrounding area up.

Some of the buildings that can be seen in the distance on the east side of Woodward are still standing. The then brand-new [[built 1915) T. B. Rayl's building at Woodward and E. Grand River, that would later house Meyer's Treasure Chest jewelers for several decades, can be seen pretty clearly just past Hudson's in the enlarged view. It's definitely still standing, as is the Swarovsky Temple of Music [[later Wright-Kay Jewlers) building a block further up.
July-01-10, 08:06 AM
mallory

It's been months since I changed the wallpaper on my PC. This is the new one, replacing a night shot of the UA theater and Tuller Hotel from back in the late 40's, another favorite of mine. Thanks for posting this. I love these old pics of Detroit.

BTW, thanks for the Shorpy post. I wondered what that was.
July-01-10, 08:37 AM
Fury13

What's interesting is that the Opera House is showing silent films here in 1917. Price is 15 cents. On the marquee is "The Spoilers," most likely a re-release of the 1914 version [[based on the novel about gold rush-era Alaska by Rex Beach). But the coming attraction is "Somewhere in Georgia," starring none other than Ty Cobb!
July-01-10, 08:45 AM
ghettopalmetto

Where is the Cheesecake Factory in this photo?
July-01-10, 08:52 AM
Danny

I can see the Old Kirkwood Hotel and Family Theatre on the corner of Cadillac Square, Woodward Ave and Monroe St. The Monroe Block used to the entire Burlesque Theatre District. Along the District was the National Theatre Building. The Kirkwood Hotel and Theatre is burn down in the fire in the early 1970s. The rest of the Monroe block was town down in late 1980s. The Detroit Opera House and other buildings including the Kern's and Crowleys Block torn down. The Hudson's Flagship Dept. Store Building was the last to go in 1999. Now a vacant lot with a underground parking garage with building girdles sticking on top for future development.

The best things on Detroit are long gone. All we Detroiters have left is looking at black and white photos and memories.
July-01-10, 11:14 AM
Detroitnerd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fury13

What's interesting is that the Opera House is showing silent films here in 1917. Price is 15 cents. On the marquee is "The Spoilers," most likely a re-release of the 1914 version [[based on the novel about gold rush-era Alaska by Rex Beach). But the coming attraction is "Somewhere in Georgia," starring none other than Ty Cobb!

Rex Beach? I never see him referenced anymore. He was from Michigan, and a best-selling author in the 1910s.
July-01-10, 08:12 PM
Zacha341

I enlarged the photo and just wondered around within it for few moments! It is like a time portal to another age indeed. Great detail and resolution. Where Campus Marius is now you can see that wonderful fountain [[what's the name?) that now sits in disrepair in Palmer Park...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Campus Martius looking at where Compuware is now. Judging by the cars and clothes, I'd say early 1920s. And those are electrified streetcars.
July-01-10, 08:34 PM
Savoyard

I agree. There's so much detail in that photo. Incredible. Any other Shorpy photos with that level of detail? It's truly a step back in time ....
July-02-10, 01:33 AM
kathy2trips

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Rex Beach? I never see him referenced anymore. He was from Michigan, and a best-selling author in the 1910s.

Rex Beach: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Beach
July-02-10, 05:25 AM
Kathleen

Zacha: The fountain is known as the Merrill Palmer Fountain.
July-02-10, 08:16 AM
English

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroit

...and don't forget: "No one looks like me."

Well, no one does. *shrug* BFD.

I love photos of this era. My grandfather's mom had relatives in Detroit at this time. My great-grandmother would arrive with him and his brothers two years after this photo was taken. Since I lost him more than 10 years ago, stuff like this always make me feel connected to him. He was a great man.
July-02-10, 08:19 AM
jcole

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savoyard

I agree. There's so much detail in that photo. Incredible. Any other Shorpy photos with that level of detail? It's truly a step back in time ....

go to shorpy.com and search for Detroit. There are quite a few shots. Be careful, because there are a lot of photos of other places done by Detroit Publishing Co